Small towns digging out, few problems reported

Small towns in Pratt County are digging their way out of a foot or more snow that began overnight Tuesday and continued through part of Thursday, but few problems have been reported.

Some don't own equipment to clear streets, but that hasn't appeared to hamper efforts.

Cullison pays the county to maintain its dirt streets, Mayor Don Rose said, and they were plowed on Thursday. In addition, individuals helped where needed.

"Cullison fared pretty well as far as the storm goes," he said.

Neighbors are helping neighbors in Coats.

"My good neighbor Teresea Flory cleaned my ramp today and brought my mail in today," said Mildred Eubank, a resident and member of the city council.

Although she says the town was "pretty snowbound" until Friday, she hasn't felt isolated, knowing "if push comes to shove, Teresea will walk up here." She believes there are others in town doing the same for their elderly neighbors.

By 10 a.m. on Friday, rural carrier Louise Cline had delivered Eubank's mail, only an hour later than normal.

"We've had electricity and water," Eubank commented. "We've been warm. I think we're getting along fine, and I'm so thankful for the moisture."

The streets are mostly cleared in Iuka, and after being closed for a day and a half, the Kanza Co-op Farm Store reopened Friday. The coffee drinkers were in, manager Jessica Miller said, and she hadn't heard of any particular problems.

The City of Preston does own equipment to clear its streets.

"The city did a pretty good job with the grader," said Mike Snell, manager of Cairo Co-op in Preston. "Preston is lucky, I really think they are."

He estimated snowfall of about 12 to 14 inches, but said with all the drifting, it was hard to measure accurately.

Snell wasn't aware of any problems in town; farmers reported they followed pickups around with tractors to get to their livestock.

Things were "going pretty good" in Sawyer, according to Eric Mason, manager at the Farmers Cooperative Equity Sawyer Branch.

Most of the streets were cleared, he said, crediting Mike Van Ranken and some of his American Trucking employees, who also helped open driveways with big front-end loaders.

"The best part is nobody lost power," Mason said, and the station had fuel Thursday for anyone who could get there.

By Friday noon, he had cleared the lot at the service station, and made some tracks for trucks to get in and out around the elevator.

Mayor Kyle Waters cleaned streets and driveways in Byers on Thursday, so anyone needing to get out would be able.